Letter from Elias
Higbee, 22 February 1840

temporal, civil & political matters,
and by this means caused all the Mormons to vote the whole hog ticket
on one side, except two persons: but when I got an opportunity of
speaking, I observed that
Joseph
Smith never led any of the
Church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

in these matters; as we considered
him to have no authority, neither did he presume to exercise any, of that
nature; that
revelations were only concerning spiritual things in
the Church, and the Bible being our standard we received no revelations
contrary to it. I also observed that we were not such ignoramuses
as perhaps as he fain would have people believe
us to be, and some other things on this subject. I then told him that
every man exercised the right of suffrage according to his better
judgment, or without any ecclesiasticle restraint being put upon him;
that it was all false about a revelation upon voting: And the reason of
our voting that ticket, was, in consequence of the democratick
principles having been taught us
from our infancy; That they ever believed & extended equal rights to all;
and that we had been much persecuted previous to that time, many
threatenings being made from the Counties round about, as well as among
us, who took the lead in political affairs. It was true we advised our brethren to vote this ticket,
telling them we thought that party would protect our rights, and not
suffer us to be driven from our lands, as we had hitherto been;
believing it to be by far the most
liberal party; but in that we were mistaken because when it came to the
test, there were as many democrats turned against us, as whigs; and
indeed less liberality and political freedom was manifested by them, for
one whig Paper came out decidedly in our favor. I made these remarks
partly from motives, which I may, at another time, explain to you. He laid
great stress on the trials at
Richmond

Area settled, ca. 1814. Officially platted as Ray Co. seat, 1827. Population in 1840 about 500. Seat of Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri; also location of courthouse and jails. JS and about sixty other Mormon men were incarcerated here while awaiting...

23 Oct. 1800–15 Apr. 1869. Physician. Born at St. Peter, Isle of Guernsey, Channel Islands, Great Britain. Migrated to U.S., by 1830. Married Eliza, a native of Virginia. Located at North Carolina, 1830. Moved to Virginia, by 1831. Moved to Freedom, Beaver...

and
others (who were
in good standing in the Mormon Church at this
time) swore to:
[p. 112]

temporal, civil & political matters,
and by this means caused all the Mormons to vote the whole hog ticket
on one side, except two persons: but when I got an opportunity of
speaking, I observed that
Joseph
Smith never led any of the
Church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

in these matters; as we considered
him to have no authority, neither did he presume to exercise any, of that
nature; that
revelations were only concerning spiritual things in
the Church, and the Bible being our standard we received no revelations
contrary to it. I also observed that we were not such ignoramuses
asperhaps as he fain would have people believe
us to be, and some other things on this subject. I then told him that
every man exercised the right of suffrage according to his better
judgment, or without any ecclesiasticle restraint being put upon him;
that it was all false about a revelation upon voting: And the reason of
our voting that ticket, was, in consequence of the democratick
principles having been taught us in
<from> our infancy; That <they> ever believed & extended equal rights to all;
and that we had been much persecuted previous to that time, many
threatenings being made from the Counties round about, as well as among
us, who took the lead in political affairs. It was <true> we advised our brethren to vote this ticket,
telling them we thought that party would protect our rights, and not
suffer us to be driven from our lands, as we had hitherto been;
believing it to be [by] far the most
liberal party; but in that we were mistaken because when it came to the
test, there were as many democrats turned against us, as whigs; and
indeed less liberality and political freedom was manifested by them, for
one whig Paper came out decidedly in our favor. I made these remarks
partly from motives, which I may, at another time, explain to you. He laid
great stress on the trials at
Richmond

Area settled, ca. 1814. Officially platted as Ray Co. seat, 1827. Population in 1840 about 500. Seat of Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri; also location of courthouse and jails. JS and about sixty other Mormon men were incarcerated here while awaiting...

23 Oct. 1800–15 Apr. 1869. Physician. Born at St. Peter, Isle of Guernsey, Channel Islands, Great Britain. Migrated to U.S., by 1830. Married Eliza, a native of Virginia. Located at North Carolina, 1830. Moved to Virginia, by 1831. Moved to Freedom, Beaver...

Created as district for seat of U.S. federal government by act of Congress, 1790, and named Washington DC, 1791. Named in honor of George Washington. Headquarters of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of U.S. government relocated to Washington ...

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...